Push bike
 

A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

Push bike
 

wrote:
John Kane wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). I was
talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in
the shop to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

Push bike is a terribly British affectation. In the USA, "bicycle"
has always meant a pedal driven two wheeled vehicle, just as in
German, it has always been a "Fahrrad", whereas in Italy it is a
"bicicletta" unambiguously. In Switzerland the term "Velo" is widely
used although, depending on which of their four languages is local, it
could be German, Italian, French, or Romansch usage.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/push-bike

Maybe, because of sharp stuff puncturing their tires (tyres, over there),
they had to push them a lot. No?
--
Skitt (AmE)

Push bike
 

wrote, in

on 09 May 2009 19:59:42 GMT:

John Kane wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). I was
talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in
the shop to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

Nothing affected about it, it is just what it is called (or named).

In the USA, "bicycle"
has always meant a pedal driven two wheeled vehicle, just as in
German, it has always been a "Fahrrad", whereas in Italy it is a
"bicicletta" unambiguously. In Switzerland the term "Velo" is widely
used although, depending on which of their four languages is local, it
could be German, Italian, French, or Romansch usage.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/push-bike

Jobst Brandt
--
Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE

Push bike
 

In rec.bicycles.misc John Kane wrote:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me "bicycle"
is a plain, unambiguous term.


Bill

__o | I used to think that I was cool, running around on fossil
fuel
_`\(,_ | Until I saw what I was doing was driving down the road to
ruin.
(_)/ (_) | - James Taylor

Push bike
 

On Sat, 09 May 2009 21:28:09 +0100, Nick Spalding
wrote:

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

Nothing affected about it, it is just what it is called (or named).

That's what it was called in Australia, too, where I lived as a child.

Push bike
 

On Sat, 9 May 2009 13:13:05 -0700, "Skitt"
wrote:

wrote:
John Kane wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). I was
talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in
the shop to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

Push bike is a terribly British affectation. In the USA, "bicycle"
has always meant a pedal driven two wheeled vehicle, just as in
German, it has always been a "Fahrrad", whereas in Italy it is a
"bicicletta" unambiguously. In Switzerland the term "Velo" is widely
used although, depending on which of their four languages is local, it
could be German, Italian, French, or Romansch usage.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/push-bike

Maybe, because of sharp stuff puncturing their tires (tyres, over there),
they had to push them a lot. No?

I would think it would go back to when bicycles did not have chains
and pedals. Forward movement was by pushing with the feet. Here's
one that has to be pushed by the feet:

http://thelongestlistofthelongeststu.../first402.html







--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Push bike
 

wrote in message
...

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

Nick Spalding wrote:

Nothing affected about it, it is just what it is called (or named).

In that case, what does the Englisman visualize when the term
"bicycle" is used?

Nothing special, viz. the universal name for any two-wheeler from an
Olympic racing bike to a plastic toy for infants. I think that JB's
material points we
1. Push bike is standard 20th century British speech (used by
all social classes.)
2. Those non-Brits who use traditional British vernacular are
often censured by others as pretentions. (This is rather hard
on Americans who went to school in Britain and picked up the
local vocabulary, as teenagers normally do.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Push bike
 

On 09 May 2009 21:00:14 GMT, wrote:

Nick Spalding wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). I was
talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in
the shop to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

Nothing affected about it, it is just what it is called (or named).

In that case, what does the Englisman visualize when the term
"bicycle" is used?

A "push bike" or "pedal cycle".

The point is that the word "bicycle" was soon abbreviated to "bike" or
"cycle". The "motor bicycle", as it was originally called in Britain,
was then introduced. That name was then abbreviated to "motorbike"and
then just "bike". That meant there was a need to distinguish between a
bike with an engine and a bike powered by its rider. The terms "pedal
cycle" (1905), "push bicycle" (1906) and "pushbike" (1910) were
invented. (The dates are the first know written uses of the terms as
quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

In the USA, "bicycle" has always meant a pedal driven two wheeled
vehicle, just as in German, it has always been a "Fahrrad", whereas
in Italy it is a "bicicletta" unambiguously. In Switzerland the
term "Velo" is widely used although, depending on which of their
four languages is local, it could be German, Italian, French, or
Romansch usage.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/push-bike

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Push bike
 

Push bike